


Missing

by Pholo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 11:11:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10463553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pholo/pseuds/Pholo
Summary: Shiro vanishes, and Keith retreats into himself.





	

**Author's Note:**

> 1o3o1 (on Tumblr) asked for: “Post Season 2 fic of Keith dealing with losing Shiro again. How he is more distant and is lost in thought. :)” 
> 
> HERE YA’ GO, FELLOW ANGST MONSTER! (Hurt/comfort fic requests are open on my tumblr: http://mighty-trash.tumblr.com/)

Shiro vanishes, and Keith retreats into himself.

The paladins are stumped by this reaction. Keith likes to shout and beat out his anxieties; he’s the sort to actively seek out trouble for the sake of catharsis. In the wake of Shiro’s disappearance, however,  Keith goes out of his way to avoid conflict. He haunts the castle, so vacant sometimes that he goes fuzzy around the edges. He can be spotted most nights spread out along one of the window ledges, cheek a breath from the glass, eyes glued to the stars like they’re keeping something from him.

Keith shows up to meetings. He goes to group training. He joins everyone for dinner. But his presence is weirdly diminished, like a star has collapsed inside of him. He talks, but his voice is hollow, devoid of passion. He never shouts or acts out.

Allura recognizes Keith’s behavior. She’s no stranger to grief. Coran, too, eyes Keith with the reserved empathy of a survivor. They don’t try to convince Keith that they’ll find Shiro; they know their promises are empty. Until the Black Lion comes back online, they won’t be able to trace Shiro’s location. It’s all a matter of time and terrible, terrible patience.

Lance comes across Keith on his way to his room one day, perched as usual beside a window. Lance grimaces at Keith’s obvious distress. He crosses over to Keith in a bout of courage; Keith looks up as Lance sits down beside him. The sky is bright purple-blue outside.

“I’m scared too, you know,” Lance says to the window. Keith stares at him. “We’re all scared shitless.”

Keith doesn’t say anything to that. Lance feels Keith's eyes leave his face; he looks down at the floor, brow furrowed. The movement of Keith’s head rustles his coat collar.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Lance goes on, at last. “But like…I just wanted you to know that we’re here for you.”

“Thanks,” Keith says. His tone surprises Lance; he sounds vulnerable and genuine. Spurred on by Keith’s reaction, Lance reaches out and claps him on the arm. He tries to appear well put together.

“We’ll figure this out, man,” Lance says.  

As it turns out, they don’t have to. The Black Lion shudders back to life one night as if on a whim. The paladins are awakened by a frantic comm call; there’s a great stampede of bare feet as the team races for Black’s hangar. They expect to have to pick through Black’s system for a signal, or let her guide them through some sort of mind map, but when they barge through the hangar door Shiro has already appeared at Black’s paws. He stands, dazed, cowlick staticky like someone has shaken a balloon through his hair. At the paladins’ cries, the focus returns to his eyes. Shiro turns around in time to receive his teammates; they smother him in a group hug, laughing and shouting with relief. The phrase “You’re okay!” is repeated with religious reverence, ad nauseam. A sensation of relief and goodwill fills the air. Allura and Coran join the fray, and Shiro flounders a little under the arms of his friends. It’s only after the hug has loosened that the team registers Keith’s absence. Everyone steps back from Shiro and turns their heads, as though they expect Keith to emerge from the shadows.

“Was the comm call castle-wide?” Pidge asks, when Keith remains unaccounted for.

“It was addressed to your rooms.” Allura’s eyes flash, and she looks embarrassed suddenly. “If Keith wasn’t in his quarters, he wouldn’t have heard the call.”

“Well, this’ll be a surprise.” Lance waves the group towards the door. “Come on; I bet he’s at his favorite window.”

They’re lucky. Keith is indeed hunched on his favorite window seat, gaze set on the stars as his team barrels towards him down the hall. The sound of their footsteps catches Keith’s attention, and he turns his head. Keith doesn’t seem to trust his eyes as Shiro approaches. He blinks, hard and fast, and his throat constricts when he swallows.

Team Voltron peels from Shiro’s side. They allow Shiro to cross the last leg of distance on his own. There is a sense that Keith and Shiro deserve a private moment, but the crew can’t seem to force themselves to leave.

Shiro reaches Keith like a supernova. He doesn’t hesitate; he grasps Keith against his chest, arms locked tight around his back. To everyone’s surprise, he buries his face in Keith’s shoulder.

“I was here the whole time,” Shiro says, breathlessly. Keith’s hands spasm at his sides, his eyes oddly vacant. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get back.”

“Shiro—” Keith chokes out. He still doesn’t return the embrace.

“I heard you,” Shiro says. He sinks forward a little. “I know. Of course I do. I should have told you sooner; I love you so much. I love you—”

And then Keith’s arms are around Shiro, face turned to the curve between Shiro’s neck and shoulder. His hands grasp at the back of Shiro’s shirt, desperate for proof of his realness. A sound wrenches out of Keith, unearthly and broken: It’s a sound birthed of pain and sheer, bone-deep relief. Shiro shushes Keith gently; they sway back and forth to the rhythm of some unseen current. Keith cries, and Shiro holds him. It doesn’t look like they’ll ever let go.

**Author's Note:**

> *Listens to Nickel Creek's "When You Come Back Down" and wails* MY FEEEEELINGSSSS


End file.
